Jambalaya

Slice smoked sausage and sauté gently in peanut oil until brown. Add onions, green peppers and celery and continue sautéing until tender. Stir in washed rice until coated in oil. Add tomatoes, stock and seasoning, including Tabasco, a chopped chili, bay leaves and finely chopped garlic. Perhaps some basil and thyme, too. Cook slowly until the rice is tender, stirring and adding water if needed. That takes about 40 minutes on a good day, an hour and a half on a bad one. Stir constantly or it'll burn. Serve with French bread and butter (traditionally, after first dropping the J on the floor and scraping it up).